LIVE MEERKAT WEBCAM AT COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK

More info: In the wild, Meerkats live in the hot, dry deserts of the Kalahari, Namibia, southwestern Angola and southern Africa. These slender catlike creatures are only around 30 cms high and weigh about 750 grams but are capable of shovelling dirt several hundred times their weight. They dig complex burrows with interconnecting tunnels and many different entrances.



Meerkats are very social animals and live in groups with a matriarch as head of the group and each member assigned to a specific role such as babysitting and guard duty – indeed, they are famous for their sentinel behaviour where one meerkat takes up a raised position where it sits erect and watches for danger.


Meerkats have remarkable vision and the dark fur around their eyes acts like sunglasses, reducing glare and allowing them to see vast distances. They are excellent communicators and use sound, scent, and body language to communicate with one another. Over 20 different sounds have been recorded from meerkats, all of which have different meanings.